Aluminum patio furniture from the alloy to the rinse

Aluminum patio furniture is the easy choice for a terrace that sees rain, sun and salt. Talenti, which builds its collections in Amelia, Umbria, uses aluminum across most of its catalog, from sofa frames to table bases. The metal suits outdoor use, but the finish on it still asks for a little care, and this story goes through both.

The metal and the finish

Talenti describes its aluminum as a fusion of several alloys chosen for strength, for ease of working and for resistance to rust. Aluminum does not rust the way steel does, which is why so many outdoor frames use it. It is also light, so a dining armchair moves across the terrace with one hand.

The color you see is a coating on top of the metal. Talenti uses a colored polyester coating, and that layer is the part that ages. The factory notes two enemies: long, unbroken exposure to strong UV light, and hard frost. Either can change the look of the coating over the years.

Two ways to use aluminum

Talenti Capri by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba looks back at the Italian beach clubs of the 1950s and 1960s, from the Amalfi coast to the Lido of Venice. The designers worked the aluminum thin, so it reads like wrought iron without the weight or the rust. The collection has nine pieces: two sofas, a living armchair, coffee tables, dining tables of 150 by 150 and 280 by 110 cm, a dining armchair and a sunbed 208 cm long. See the Capri collection.

Talenti Edwin Alu pairs aluminum with an ultra slim woven fiber. The factory calls the aluminum sustainable and the collection a mix of lightness and solidity. There are five pieces: a sofa 196 cm long, a living armchair, the same armchair on a swivel base, a round dining table 135 cm across and a dining armchair. See the Edwin Alu collection.

The two show the range of the metal. Capri uses it as line and ornament. Edwin Alu uses it as a frame for a woven seat. On a small balcony, the Capri coffee table of 60 by 60 cm sits beside one armchair and leaves room to walk.

Care, by the sea and inland

The factory's advice for aluminum fits in a few lines, and it works.

• Clean on a routine. Use a soft cloth with water or a neutral detergent.
• Clean more often in humid places and on the coast. Salt and moisture sit on the surface and dull the coating.
• Before a long break and before winter, clean the pieces and store them somewhere sheltered.

The fiber on Edwin Alu has its own routine. Talenti suggests water with a non-abrasive sponge and mild soap, or a soft brush to reach between the strands. Let the fiber dry in the sun and put the cushions back once it is dry.

Winter, in practice

Storage depends on where you live. In Los Angeles or Miami, a clean frame under a fitted cover handles the cooler months. In Chicago or New York, the factory's advice to store the pieces under cover through the winter matters more, because hard frost is one of the two things that age the coating.

Light frames make this easy. A Capri dining armchair or an Edwin Alu living armchair goes into a garage or a shed in a minute. Cushions need a dry shelf of their own.

Choose by look and by use

Pick Capri if you want a terrace with a classic Italian feel and a long dining table. Pick Edwin Alu if the terrace is small and you want a sofa, two armchairs that swivel toward the view, and a round table. The finish options for both come with the quote.

Send us your terrace size, your city and the pieces you like on the poster form at the foot of this page. The Los Angeles desk answers with the Talenti aluminum options, the finishes, and a price that includes freight and customs work.